Every crisis is a communication crisis
What is the role of every communications team? To build, maintain and enhance the reputation of the company or organisation. You can't sell a product or service or get a grant or other form of support without a good reputation and public trust.
The good news is that even if a crisis cannot be prevented (which is often beyond the control of the communications team), it is possible to prepare for it and mitigate the effects on the organization's reputation. The following two-part series will take you through the process of developing a crisis communications plan with all the aspects that need to be thought through.
In addition to the day-to-day handling of routine communication tasks such as writing press releases, preparing content for social media or sending out newsletters, despite its importance, the focus on strategic communication is often neglected. This means setting and meeting medium- and long-term communication goals.
Well-managed strategic communication can help you weather a crisis, mitigate its impact and make it easier to rebuild credibility. So let us devote at least one short paragraph to it.
Strategic communication: the key to influencing public perception
Strategic communication is a tool to influence public perception towards our brand or product. It is a deliberate and planned process that starts with setting communication objectives.
What can be the objectives of strategic communication?
Increase awareness of the organization
Change mindsets about the organization
Building an image
Educating the public
Influencing public opinion
Influencing the behavior of target groups
The formulation of strategic communication objectives should involve not only the communication team, but also the top management of the organization, who decide on its future functioning. Ideally, a subject matter expert should also be involved to support decision-making with relevant data.
We will think about the objective(s) of our strategic communication and make a sober assessment of our capacity and capability to achieve it.
We need to know the target audience for our messages and select appropriate communication channels for them.
We must realistically assess our resources - human capacity, budget, know-how, etc.
Based on these inputs, we will prepare a plan for the communication outputs themselves. In order to achieve the objectives, it is very important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the communication and, if necessary, to flexibly adjust and optimize your plan.
A well-known brand that inspires confidence can overcome a reputational crisis much more easily than a brand that does not work thoughtfully and consistently to build its reputation.
What is a communication crisis
The first difficult task of the communications team is to capture, recognize and assess whether a crisis really requires our response.
How to recognize a crisis?
In a short period of time, there is an unusually high level of public and media interest in the situation.
The situation develops and changes rapidly, often arising quite unexpectedly.
We lose control of the information that is spread about us.
We have less information than the public, the media or the other side.
Fear and panic reign about future developments.
How does a crisis arise?
Internal mistakes: inappropriate statements, lack of transparency, management error.
Unexpected events: facts come to light that no one had any idea about or something unforeseen happens ("Black Swans").
Intentional damage: deliberate campaign against us (e.g. fake profiles, hateful comments, misinformation.
Each organization must assess for itself when it is a crisis that needs to be addressed. There is no universal rule that can be applied to all situations. This decision should be made jointly by the organization's management and communications team.
A typical dilemma for non-profit organizations is the publication of negative information in so-called "alternative" (or also disinformation or conspiracy) media. Such an outlet may damage the organization's reputation, but the response to it carries the risk of legitimizing and adding weight to a discussion that otherwise would not have it.
Some practical tips for communication outputs in a crisis
Public statements, whether reactive or proactive, should first and foremost calm the situation and create a sense of control.
We recommend, as a matter of practice, that outputs include:
Acknowledgement of the crisis and its severity: openly admit that a crisis has occurred and how serious it is.
Acknowledge the legitimacy of the emotions: Respect and acknowledge the emotions that the crisis has triggered.
Assurance of remedy: Assure the public that you are doing your best to remedy the situation.
Transparent information: Provide complete and transparent information.
Realistic commitment: Make a realistic commitment to remedy and next steps.
Conversely, we do not recommend the following in crisis communications:
Use of the phrase "no comment": not providing a comment is also a comment.
Absolute terms: Phrases such as "never, always, always" can be dangerous.
Denying responsibility: Phrases such as "we didn't know" or "it wasn't our responsibility" can undermine public trust in the organization.
Trivializing the crisis: Never minimize the seriousness of a crisis and the response to it.
Avoid making excuses and blaming others.
Making unrealistic promises: Be careful about making unrealistic promises.
Condescension and expertise: Communication should be humble and clear, not overly technical.
Media and crisis communication
In times of crisis, the media will take an interest in you. Their job is to report as objectively as possible and avoid manipulation, but they also aim to provide the fastest and most exclusive information to increase readership.
We do not recommend relying on past good relations with the media. They must be approached in a partnership, not a friendly manner, and remember that if you do not provide the information you are giving room for speculation and losing control of the communication.
In dealing with the media, we recommend:
Be accommodating: Be open and cooperative.
Keep an open and partnership approach.
Be mindful of what we do and do not want to say: Be clear about the message you want to convey.
Avoid phrases such as "no comment" and "off the record": Always provide relevant information that can get out to the public.
Actively communicate: Crises cannot be silenced; silence only reinforces speculation.
Don't expect favors from the media: The media seek information, not favors.
Preparedness and planning are key
In conclusion, it is important to remember that good crisis communication can make a big difference in how your organization overcomes a crisis and restores its reputation. Preparedness and planning are key - having clearly defined procedures, designated roles and responsibilities, and pre-prepared scenarios and responses can be the difference between a crisis that is manageable and one that can have long-term negative impacts.
Also, investing in crisis communication and regular debriefings after a crisis will not only improve responses to future crises, but also strengthen your organization's confidence and resilience. Remember, those who are prepared are not surprised - and this is twice as true in crisis communications.
Author: Adriana Černá
Background illustration by: vegefox.com
This piece was published in partnership with VIA Association
